Dear Senator or Representative,
In due consideration of the proposed bill # HR 3364, I see myself forced to veto that bill for many reasons. I ask you humbly to reconsider your vote so as not to be responsible for overriding my veto, in the light of the following:
- The sanctions against Russia, previously imposed by executive order of President Obama (which are still in force), have accomplished nothing. Russia has not relinquished the Crimea back to the Ukraine, as was intended. On the contrary they have strengthened Russian industry and agriculture and gave advantages to Russia's other international suppliers, who were not bound by those sanctions.
- The sanctions have hurt our allies, whose share of exports to the Russian market is much larger in relation to their gross national product than are our exports in relation with our gross national product, which is a relatively insignificant share.
- Our allies have threatened to take unilateral countermeasures against our free trade with them, if HR 3364 should become law. This bill is in reality a declaration of trade-war against our allies rather than against Russia, which could well drive them to review their fundamental relations with us. It is indeed a gamble with the existing balance of power, which has served the United States so well in the last 70 years or so.
- I understand that there has been a powerful amount of lobbying for HR 3364 by the domestic natural gas industry, in the hope of filling the expected demand for natural gas in Europe, which might arise from prolonged and strengthened sanctions against Russia, which is the reliable low-cost supplier of choice for countries like Germany and other European countries. U.S. gas supplies are mostly not competitive in Europe due to the costs of shipping and liquefying.
- HR 3364 could turn out to become a costly gamble with our nation's geopolitical interests. Russia has shown its ability to survive as a viable nation in a free trade environment, after the damage done by the economically inefficient communist era. Russia is in no way a dangerous rival for the U.S., it is indeed a lightweight in many respects. It is not a lightweight as a nuclear power and it should not be driven into a corner by our inconsiderate brinkmanship.
- It has to be remembered that economic sanctions and economic rivalries have always been the first step to wider wars and world wars in the past. There was no large-scale nuclear warfare in past world wars. As the President of this country I urge you to reconsider your vote, which could for the first time have incalculable outcomes for our citizens in the future
- I see that HR 3364 has more than 180 pages. I understand that there were only 10 hours, in which this legislation could have been read and debated. I understand that there was no true debate due to the overwhelming volume and the lack of information. i urge you, dear senator and dear congressman to see my veto as a second chance for you to deliberate the pros and cons of this bill and to give your conscience a chance to reflect on the possible implications of signing this bill.